


Glenn

by DubiousPhysics



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Mountain Glenn, Original Character(s), Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-23 22:02:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4894015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DubiousPhysics/pseuds/DubiousPhysics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, but: it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures."<br/>- Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck</p>
<p>Mountain Glenn once stood as one of the kingdom of Vale's crowning achievements, a testament to the power of human ingenuity and the indomitable human spirit. This is its story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a story set around the fall of Mountain Glenn. I've done my very best to stay true to the spirit of RWBY, and perhaps even more to its canon (yes, pipe dreams of somehow becoming a writer for the series showing a little there I think). Probably not the happiest of stories, but hopefully still with some fun. I'll be aiming to post roughly one chapter a week.
> 
> Well, enjoy (or don't, it might not be your thing, naturally that's entirely up to you)!

Day 0, 23:44 Vale Time  
Mountain Glenn Western Perimeter - Amber Zone  
Assignment: Intercept

There's usually a certain elegance to the sound of a quiet night. It's a gentle, breathing quiet, a mist of tranquillity that belies whatever dangers might rest in the darkness.

But there was nothing elegant about the quiet that surrounded Maya as she crept along the forest floor, weaving through shadows cast from the moon's fractured glare. In some stories, a full moon was an omen of terrors to come. In others, it was the lightless new moon that bode evil. Well, this story's sky was dominated by a brilliant white crescent, its gaze somehow just as foreboding as the suffocating quiet that blanketed the land.

So intense was the noiseless shroud that Maya found herself struggling not to gasp in every second breath. It was all in the mind, she knew, but even her mental focus was being pushed to its limits. The most tender of her footsteps may as well have been the thundering advance of a Goliath, and her every fibre screamed in alarm as she forced herself through each tentative, calculated movement.

This was a quiet like nothing in nature or civilisation, a quiet that swallowed up all who entered it, never to be heard from again. This was the sound of Grimm on the hunt.

And Maya's creeping, meticulously placed footsteps were the sound of Grimm being hunted.

In the next instant she was upon them, a pack of Beowolves stalking menacingly through the brush, the last of them so close she could almost feel the hatred radiating from its hulking form. Perhaps too close for some.

She readied her sword.

_In._

One arm wrapped around the Beowolf's neck, locking it in place as the other drove the blade home.

_Out._

With a soft _snick_ , she withdrew the blade, severing the beast's spine with the motion.

_The long lost art of the silent kill,_ she mused as she lowered the Beowolf noiselessly to the ground.

There was a sharp, bloodcurdling growl, and twelve sets of eyes snapped around, locking her in their furious red glares.

_Hm. Still lost then._

She was on them in a flash, precise cuts slicing through nerves and arteries with practised ease. One, two, three went down before they could even fully process her presence. On the fourth, her sword scraped across toughened bone, jarring painfully back up through her arm. Cursing silently, she yanked the blade aside as the Beowolf raised a massive paw to swat her away, squaring her shoulder and willing her aura to meet the blow. The next moment she was flying, rolling, springing to her feet, head pounding from the impact.

_Shouldn't have done that,_ she berated herself as she once again readied her sword. While hardy and trivial to maintain, the ceramic blade was ill-suited for penetrating bony armour, and parrying was out of the question. Still, the sheer speed of her charge had ensured she only sustained a glancing blow. Had the Grimm hit her full on, there wouldn't have been much of her left. In fact, that was still a plausible outcome, she reminded herself as the pack surged toward her.

"Flann, I've gone loud."

"Noticed," came the reply from her partner, his outline flickering to life on her HUD. "I'll let you take the big one, seeing as you've just antagonised it."

"Great, thanks," she responded dryly, "if you can keep the others off my back, I'll go antagonise it some more."

"Tall order. Consider it done." With that, Flann leapt forward, one hand deftly slipping a thin red sheath over his own ceramic blade. More alert now, one of the Beowolves turned to face him, armour plates just under its hide stopping his first thrust cold.

There was a _click_ as he pulled the trigger on the sword's hilt.

Maya turned away just in time to shield her eyes from the fireball that engulfed the Beowolf, two of its companions, and several nearby trees.

"I have their attention," Flann announced unnecessarily, slipping a fresh Dust sheath onto his weapon. Maya opted not to comment, focused instead on her own opponent's efforts to demolish her and the surrounding forest. This Beowolf was older and more cautious than its brethren, taking care to avoid exposing unarmoured flesh for even an instant. It was also tiring far more slowly than she was, claws and teeth growing closer by the second as her evasive dance pushed her to the brink of exhaustion.

Mustering her strength, she dodged past the Grimm one last time before springing upwards, vaulting from branch to branch, clearing the canopy in a matter of seconds. For a moment, she hung still in the air, silhouetted against the brilliant moon on one side. On the other, the distant outlines of Mountain Glenn's guard towers stood firm, commanding, unshakeable, imposing in their silence, answering the moon with their own sharp glow from hundreds of armed laser turrets.

Then she was falling, angling herself as she pressed her sword into one of its own Dust sheaths. The coating radiated a dazzling electric blue, pulsing with the full charge of her aura, ready to bring swift death with the full force of gravity behind it.

And a colossal black mass loomed towards her from below.

She cursed, out loud this time. The Beowolf had leapt after her, its claws shredding the trees beneath to power its ascent. There was no way to utilise the full weight of her fall from this position. Twisting in midair, she snagged a nearby branch, the frail limb holding just long enough to redirect her out of the creature's reach as she sailed down past it. In another instant she was on the ground, buffering the landing with both legs, one arm - and a sizeable chunk of her aura.

Now it was her opponent's turn to have gravity on its side. The Beowolf let out a guttural roar as it bore down upon her, its eyes smouldering streaks, leaving only fractions of a second to dodge certain death.

She braced herself against the ground, angled her blade, and pulled the trigger.

An electric tang filled the air as it crystallised around her weapon, shards of razor sharp ice erupting forth. The frozen pillar lanced skyward for a moment before the Beowolf plunged into it, the momentum of its own fall forcing the ice through its armour. Both held only briefly before disintegrating from the impact, shattered fragments of ice and bone perforating the creature's insides.

Maya stepped back as the last of the ice dissolved into mist, the lifeless Grimm meeting the ground with a tremendous _thud_. Behind her, Flann calmly extinguished the last of the flaming trees.

"We clear?" Maya asked as she sheathed her sword - a regular sheath this time.

Flann frowned, his holographic monocle flickering as his fingers worked the HUD controls on his headpiece. "For a few kilometres, at least. Anything closer would have come to investigate. Speaking of which..."

Right on cue, the tramping of boots and the clank of heavy weaponry sounded in the distance, drawing rapidly closer. The pair turned to face the approaching noise, and a few seconds later, the sources of the ruckus burst onto the scene, blinding flashlights concealing their forms.

"Who's there? Identify yourself immediately! Oh, it's you two." The flashlights lowered, and a uniformed man strode forward, the gold trim of the Mountain Glenn Border Guard contrasting sharply with Flann and Maya's more subdued red and blue coats. More of the same uniforms were visible behind him, all matched with appropriately oversized rifles. "What happened here?"

"We jumped a Beowolf pack," Flann answered, gesturing to the bodies scattered around them.

"Then they jumped us," Maya added helpfully, kneeling to examine the remains.

"Not sure how they got this close," Flann continued, "we're well inside Amber Zone. They should have tripped the perimeter sensors much further out."

"Hmm. Yes." The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This close the towers should have direct tracking, almost. Well, if it weren't for the forest at least. It might have been a small pack that the initial survey teams missed. If they were careful enough, they could have stayed hidden here, even with the guard towers up. We'd better search the area in case there are more."

He gestured to his troops, and the soldiers began to fan out through the trees, flashlights sweeping across the darkness. A few exchanged bemused glances as they crossed the Grimm Flann and Maya had dispatched.

"That would be my guess as well," Flann agreed. "Hopefully the council sends more teams through before they get it in their heads to turn this place into a park."

The man let out a hearty chuckle, taking a few seconds to survey their surroundings more carefully. "I have to say, you freelancers are doing a fine job out here. I don't envy anyone patrolling this far out without air support."

"Well, you don't really get to find us when we lose," replied Flann with a shrug, "although we have fought packs like this before."

_Indeed we have,_ thought Maya, concluding her examination. This had clearly been a pack of experienced fighters. Her opening strike had been whisper-quiet, no more audible than a light breeze, yet they'd all been alert enough to pick up on it. As for the big one, well, that one had read her movements with near fatal precision. And that scarring was familiar. Very familiar. "Gentlemen, we have a problem."

Flann cocked his head to one side. He knew what she was about to say. "Are you sure?"

Maya straightened up, turning to face him. "I'm no Huntress, but I remember my Beowolves. We've met this pack before. Southern tundra. Outside the perimeter."

The three exchanged worried glances. If these Grimm had indeed come from outside the perimeter, they would have to have passed the outer perimeter sensors. Sensors that should have alerted the guard towers to their presence and exact position.

"Well then. I guess those Huntsmen will have to stick around a while longer," said the man. He reached for his radio.

In the background, the distant outlines of Mountain Glenn's guard towers stood. Firm. Commanding. Unshakeable.

Silent.


	2. Chapter 2

Day 1, 03:40 Vale Time  
Mountain Glenn West - The Trefoil Inn  
Assignment: Resupply

The warmth that greeted Flann and Maya as they entered the inn was a welcome change from the night's merciless chill. The Trefoil's proprietor had somehow mastered the art of keeping the expansive space not only heated and well lit, but downright cosy - no mean feat with the completion of the suburb's power grid still months away. The pair hesitated at the entrance for several seconds, Maya ensuring the door closed gently behind them while Flann performed their customary sweep for threats.

"Oh hey! The twins return! Victorious once more, I see," the aforementioned proprietor greeted them warmly, without needing to look up from the trays she was working on. She'd grown accustomed to their quirks remarkably quickly. "No Grimm in here. Don't worry, I've been keeping a sharp lookout."

Finally satisfied with her tray, she glanced up and flashed them a smile, her wizened eyes radiating warmth, goodwill, and all the steely determination she needed to maintain order in an establishment regularly filled with warriors from all walks of life.

Well, it was that and the broadsword she carried at her hip. And probably the .50 calibre machine gun behind the bar.

"Seriously though," she continued, "it's good to see you both back in one piece. And I don't just say that because you're running a tab."

"Thanks, Clover," Maya responded, returning the smile. "Hopefully you haven't had to quell too many riots today."

The innkeeper shrugged, returning to her work. "It's been a quiet day. Can't say the same for you two, though."

"How do you figure?" Flann asked, finally wrapping up his sweep.

"Well, those Dust sheaths you both use," Clover explained with another shrug, "first time I've seen you come back with less than you left with. And seeing as I know you two have come back from battles before, I'd wager you're not the type to use them unless you have to."

"Hm. Good eye," Flann remarked, nodding appreciatively.

"Long career," Clover answered simply. "Us innkeepers have a slightly longer life expectancy than your average warrior. Not that I haven't had my fill of both jobs. On that note, I'm going to go ahead and turn in before I start waxing lyrical about the good old days. Since I know you kids are going to be romping about until god knows what hour, do an old lady a favour and stoke up the fireplace before you head out again, all right?"

"Of course," agreed Maya, adding, "Flann will make sure I don't burn the building down this time."

"This time?" The innkeeper's brow furrowed, more curious than concerned.

"There's a good reason he handles the fire..."

* * *

It wasn't long before the pair were back in their room, having promised to tell the innkeeper of Maya's fiery mishaps at a later date. Flann headed straight for the workbench in the corner, checking several of the freshly set Dust sheaths leaning against it. Maya opted to settle on one of the beds for a few moments before tending to her equipment.

"Don't you envy people with actual sleep cycles?"

Flann said nothing, answering Maya's question with a slight shake of the head and a subdued smile.

"Yeah, me neither," Maya concurred, stripping off the last of her body armour for inspection. It was little more than a token defence compared to the sheer fury of a Grimm strike, but it was a token that had saved their lives on more than one occasion. "Still, those beds are looking awful tempting right now," she continued, treating their accommodations to a forlorn stare.

Ever efficient, Flann had already rearmed and given his gear the once over, and was now in the process of pulling his coat back on over his armour. "Work to do, Maya," he replied with a sigh.

"I know, I know. A girl can dream." Maya let out a sigh of her own. "So, next steps? I'm no engineer, but I'm pretty sure the lack of pew pew is supposed to be... not a lack of pew pew."

Flann nodded, working his headpiece controls. "I'm shortwaving that old friend of ours. He's running recon somewhere... vaguely in our vicinity. Probably. Hopefully he'll be able to help us take a closer look at those towers."

"That old friend, huh?" remarked Maya as she busied herself checking over the bruises and scrapes she'd picked up in their last encounter. They'd mostly healed on their own, but reasonable care and a short burst of aura was a small price to pay to ensure they didn't act up in the future.

"Yes, that one," Flann responded, pausing for a moment to glance at her. "Not your smoothest engagement, was it?" he added, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Most of it's soot, actually," Maya shot back with a smirk.

"You're welcome."

Flann fell silent for a moment, listening intensely as something came through on his headpiece. "Jasper shortwaved back. He'll make his way over when he can and we'll rendezvous here at The Trefoil. Conservative ETA is eight hours."

"All right then," Maya answered, straightening up. "We'd better make some enquiries of our own in the meantime. Strike up conversations with soldiers and such. The authorities will want to keep this constrained to the higher-ups, and for good reason, but hopefully we can glean enough to keep an eye on things without causing too much concern."

"Hang on." Flann frowned, listening intensely once again. "I just got a message through the scroll network. Apparently... apparently we're needed at the Administrator's office. The brigadier's called an emergency meeting on the tower situation, and he wants us there."

There was a moment's silence, finally broken by Maya.

"...or the brigadier could invite us straight to his meeting. That'll work too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for moderately winded introductions and exposition! Coming up next week: yet more moderately winded introductions and exposition...


	3. Chapter 3

Day 1, 04:21 Vale Time  
Mountain Glenn Central - Administrator's Office  
Assignment: Summons

The brigadier was well into his report by the time the pair arrived, security having waved them through without so much as an ID request. Evidently they'd been provided with very detailed descriptions.

"The Huntsmen were halfway back to Vale by the time we called it in, unfortunately," the man was saying, every bit as imposing in full dress uniform as he had been toting a high calibre rifle out in the forest. "We're still waiting on word from Vale as to whether we can get another Huntsman or Huntress headed our way. From the delay, though, I'm guessing we won't be so lucky. Nothing official yet, but chatter says there's a situation developing inside the city. No doubt that'll be the first thing on their minds for a while yet."

"Well, no surprises there Ashton," sighed the Administrator, acknowledging the newcomers with a brief nod. Everything about the woman projected an aura of exhaustion, from her tired eyes to her greying hair to her slightly faded suit - even the line of small gold-plated _Commendations for Service to the People_ conspired to give her desk a tired look. Being woken up at two in the morning certainly hadn't helped matters, though given her appearance, this was likely a common occurrence for her. "Do we have anything from our Atlesian commander? I'm afraid I don't know the man too well, I've only met him once in the week he's been with us."

"Major Farran," the brigadier replied. "Fought alongside him a few years back. A little uptight, very young... but he's an even better engineer than he is a soldier, and he's a right solid soldier at that. Unfortunately, he's been in Atlas briefing his superiors for the last few days. Latest update is he's cleared his schedule and is on his way here. Priority transport too, one of their new RT-4 jets. Fastest ever built, from what I've heard."

"So he's taking this seriously, then. That's good to hear."

The brigadier raised an eyebrow. "That supposed to mean something, Administrator?"

The woman straightened in her chair, smiling for what could well have been the first time in years. "My apologies if that came out wrong, Ashton. That said, when you've been in government as long as I have, you're extremely grateful when someone takes your problems as seriously as you do."

"That I can understand, ma'am," the brigadier responded, shaking his head in amusement.

"So," the Administrator continued, "this Atlas aircraft, how fast exactly-"

A harsh buzzer cut her off, followed by the crackle of the intercom.

"Ma'am, apologies for the interruption, but we have an Atlas military transport that's just come into communications range. It's requesting an urgent link, ma'am."

The Administrator extended her smile with a bemused look. "Thank you, Hina. Put it through."

The lights dimmed, and a display on the wall flickered to life, filled with static. After a brief delay, the static resolved into the distinctive image of an Atlas combat helmet. accompanied by what appeared to be a chaotic mass of cables and blinking lights. A deafening hum filled the room, emanating from speakers set into the Administrator's desk. The figure in the helmet frowned for a moment as he adjusted something just out of view, no doubt some kind of filter for background noise, and the hum faded.

"Brigadier Port, Madam Administrator," the figure began, straining to salute in what was clearly a cramped space, "and... I presume these are the warriors who were engaged in Amber Zone. Sir. Ma'am. This is Major Farran of the Mountain Glenn Task Force."

"It's good to hear from you, Major Farran," the Administrator replied, turning towards Flann and Maya's quiet position in the corner. "Now, while we're all exchanging formalities, I've been meaning to ask about our guests. I'm hardly going to object to more help, but I don't believe we've been introduced?"

"Maya Sable. Flann Sable," Maya supplied succinctly. "Blades."

"Blades, eh?" The brigadier turned to face them as well. "I knew there was a reason I liked you. Administrator, these two have been taking down Grimm all over southeast Vale for more than a month now. They're some of the gutsiest fighters I've ever met. Between them, I'd say they've racked up more combat experience than me and my entire unit put together, and that's just in the time they've been here. We need to know what the Grimm are up to, and there's no one else that's been in the thick of things like they have."

"Blades..." the Administrator mused thoughtfully. "I've heard that title before, although I can't recall the context."

"Likely from council watchlists, ma'am." The explanation came from the major this time. "Atlas has traditionally not been fond of them, and from what I gather, neither have the other three kingdoms. However, both Brigadier Port and I can attest to their proficiency in combat, and as scouts. They're good allies to have."

Flann and Maya exchanged an amused glance as the Administrator digested this information. "Very well then. Clearly I have some additional reading to do. What can you tell us about the Grimm in our vicinity?"

The pair traded another glance, this one more serious.

"Almost all of the Grimm we've met have been outside the perimeter, ma'am," Maya began, moving over to the map laid out on the Administrator's desk. "We've picked up unusual concentrations here, here, and here, but they've spread back out in well under a day, and all of them were at different points in time. Aside from that, and one other exception, it's been business as usual: normal concentrations, normal types, normal sizes.

"Of course, the exception is what we're worried about. Aside from the obvious concerns, the pack of Beowolves we met in Amber Zone were a lot bigger than normal. Bigger means older. Older means smarter. Grimm that size don't just wander into danger. It's a fair bet they were testing our defences."

"The good news is that we gave them pretty clear test results," Flann continued. "The bad news is that they'll try again, and we have no idea when. It might not be for some time. It might be a matter of days. There could be more Grimm prowling around Amber Zone as we speak."

There was silence for a while, punctuated by the faint hum of engine noise from the speakers.

"Then we need to shut down all civilian activity in that zone before daybreak," the Administrator concluded reluctantly. "And we need to find a reason for doing it which won't raise alarm."

The brigadier grimaced, clearing his throat audibly. They all knew this was far more than a political concern. Fear and panic would bring the Grimm down upon them like sharks to a feeding frenzy.

It was the major who supplied the answer. "We will be test firing the towers into Amber Zone," he said simply. "I believe a civilian evacuation will be required for that regardless."

"That is... an exceptionally good reason. Thank you, Major Farran." The Administrator activated her scroll. "I'll send out the notices immediately."

The major nodded in acknowledgement. "I've instructed my engineering leads to be ready at the airfield by the time I land. We'll begin diagnostics immediately, and report any significant results as soon as they come through. If we can't immediately identify any faults, I expect we'll be ready for a full test firing at 1300 hours."

"That's... very efficient, major. Thank you, once again," the Administrator replied.

"With respect, ma'am, no thanks are in order," the major went on, his tone one of forced steadiness. "The safety of all of Mountain Glenn, with more than nine thousand inhabitants, was staked on the effectiveness of the defence systems provided by Atlas. Four hours ago, those systems failed, and the man responsible for them was a continent away attending frivolous briefings. Ma'am, I have no illusions as to how this reflects on the kingdom of Atlas, its commitments to its allies, and on me personally. All I can say is that I will do everything in my power to ensure this is made right."

"I appreciate that, major."

"If I may," Flann interjected, stepping forward, "Major Farran, we should be upfront with you. We've asked one of our... engineering specialists to look at the towers independently. One of our best. He may be poking around them over the next day or so. I imagine your security might take issue with that."

The major scowled abruptly, shaking his head.

"Inconvenient, major?" the brigadier inquired, eyebrows raised.

"Highly," the major responded, looking down briefly to work on his scroll. "While I commend your transparency, Blades, I'm afraid I cannot reciprocate it. I'm under strict orders to ensure the technology within and around those towers is accessible only to Atlesian military personnel. One of the appeals I've filed will likely be processed within the week, but until then I'm obligated to notify my security teams about your man and instruct them to shut him out completely. Frankly, it might have been better if you hadn't informed me."

"That's fine, major," Flann answered calmly, "it's about what we expected."

"I'm glad you understand. In lieu of direct access, I'm more than willing to forward any results from my teams to you as well. Although..." The major paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If your man is who I think it is, I suspect our security won't be a problem..."

Before he could finish the thought, the transmission was interrupted by a short burst of static, followed by several warning lights flickering on in the background. The man checked his scroll hurriedly before continuing, "We've just been cleared for landing. Madam Administrator. Brigadier Port. Blades. I'll see you on the ground. Major Farran, out."

With that, the display winked out, leaving the room's occupants in darkness. It was only when the lights came back on that the Administrator broke the sombre silence.

"Well, we've got the ball rolling at least," she remarked, rising from her chair. "It seems you were right about him, Ashton. I'll head to the airfield and make sure he gets a proper welcome."

The brigadier nodded. "He'll appreciate that. The Guard will get to work on cordoning off Amber Zone, and I'll make sure none of our patrols are still wandering around when he fires up those towers."

With a quick salute, he turned and strode out of the office, already reaching for his radio. As they followed him out, Maya shot Flann a wry smile.

_And we're getting some sleep._


	4. Chapter 4

Day 1, 11:30 Vale Time  
Mountain Glenn West - The Trefoil Inn  
Assignment: Sleep

Maya jolted awake with a start, eyes snapping wide open, pulse pounding as she worked to force stability out of each frantic breath.

"You okay?" Naturally, Flann was already up. There was concern in his voice, despite caution forbidding him from looking away from the gently glowing Dust mix in front of him. "Nightmares again?"

"No," Maya growled, twisting to face the wall, "I just like waking up with a heart attack every morning."

There was a long pause.

"You know," Flann began, "you really do-"

"Oh, shut up."

Twisting the other way, Maya rolled out of bed and onto her feet in a single fluid motion, already reaching for her gear. While she wasn't one for mornings, she'd found the best way to deal with them was to take the initiative and stab them through the heart before they realised what was going on. Multiple times, if possible.

"And... thanks for asking," she added softly, laying a hand on Flann's shoulder. Her partner acknowledged the gesture with a nod, eyes still fixed on the workbench and its Dust mixing equipment.

"Jasper shortwaved an hour ago," he said finally, satisfied that he wasn't about to send the building on an unscheduled trip to the moon, "he's crossed the perimeter into Amber Zone. He says he'll stop to check out the towers when he passes them crossing into the city, so we should have a little more time before the rendezvous. No updates from the scroll network yet, unless you've received something?"

Maya shook her head, as much to chase out the last of the screams as to answer the question. "What are you working on?"

"New burn mix." Flann picked up a single pinch of Dust to demonstrate, letting it fall through the air and combust with a brilliant white flash. "If we're going to be dealing with bigger Grimm, my wide burn mix won't cut it. I'll need something hotter. Much hotter."

Frowning, Maya examined the assortment of handling equipment, Dust bases, and partial mixes on the workbench. "You're not going to get much range out of that," she noted.

"Better to hurt one than tickle twelve. It's a good thing I've got you to help me get up close and personal," Flann replied, smiling a little. "Speaking of which, are you planning on putting together any new mixes?"

"Not a chance," Maya responded, shaking her head much more vehemently this time, "I've found a mix that works for me and I'm sticking with it."

"Didn't Jasper design that mix for you?"

"Exactly." She patted her sheaths fondly for emphasis. "It's twice as effective as anything I could come up with, and I haven't had any... accidents since I started using his recipe. I don't plan on breaking that streak."

"Hey, give yourself some credit," Flann said with a smirk, "you didn't blow up the entire building last time it happened."

Maya couldn't help but laugh, already halfway to the door. "Gee, thanks. I'll show myself out."

The quiet warmth of the Trefoil's early morning had been replaced by the full on hustle and bustle of the day, with patrons entering and leaving by the minute and barely an unoccupied table in sight. Maya wrinkled her nose as the cacophony assaulted her senses. A miracle worker she might be, but Clover hadn't quite managed to eliminate the establishment's more... bracing smells.

"Well, well! If it isn't our very own resident Huntress!" Once again, the innkeeper hadn't even needed to look up, easily picking out Maya's olive skin, dark hair, imposing frame, and blue coat from the crowd. The hand on her sword hilt and tense pause as she habitually scoured every last corner of the room for signs of danger had probably given it away.

With a grimace, she made her way down the rest of the stairs and towards the bar. "Please don't call me that."

"What, you got something against Huntresses?" the innkeeper enquired, a broad grin belying any aggression in her tone. "You do know that Beacon takes applications from freelancers, right?"

"I've got nothing against Huntresses, Clover," Maya answered with a sigh. She scanned the menu affixed to the counter as she spoke, tapping on the most caffeinated entry she could find. The gesture was largely a formality, seeing as Clover had already started making the order for her. "I just don't meet the description. Not by a long shot."

"Shush now, that's enough modesty from you young lady," Clover scolded, clucking her tongue disapprovingly. "Now, I know these stories tend to get a little embellished as they're passed on, so you're going to take your coffee, pull up a stool, and tell me exactly what happened with this 'horde of a thousand Beowolves' I've been hearing about all morning. Oh, and you're going to have some of those cookies on the house, since I know you won't get nearly enough to eat otherwise."

Maya accepted the unexpected trayful of treats with a resigned shake of her head, though she opted to remain standing for any storytelling. "Thanks, although I doubt the story's worth your investment. We met a small pack out in the woods. Nothing spectacular, aside from Flann almost incinerating me as usual. I guess the Beowolves themselves were on the large side, though."

"A whole pack, hmm? I'm surprised they haven't added twenty Nevermores and a volcano by now," the innkeeper remarked, her raised voice drawing attention from more than one group of anecdote-swapping soldiers. Doubtless her suggestions would make their way into upcoming revisions of the tale. "And you claim you're not Huntress material."

"I'm really not," Maya insisted wearily, "but if you must, some call us Blades."

"Ooh, so you're the 'mysterious warrior' type, are you?" Clover smirked, throwing in a generous eyebrow waggle for emphasis.

Maya tried and failed to suppress a grin. "I guess you could put it that way. It's no formal title, more of a job description really. We've never been organised. Even now, we're barely coordinated at all, and what coordination we have only exists because there aren't many of us left."

"Sounds like you folks have been around for a while."

"We did most of our work before the kingdoms," Maya confirmed, finally reaching for her mug. "There hasn't been much need for us since the academies were established. The Huntsmen, the Huntresses, they're the future. Us, well, we're the past. Still, when the need arises, we play our part."

"And what part is that?" Clover asked, adding another plate of cookies to the tray while Maya was preoccupied with the questions.

"Well," replied Maya, mustering as much gravitas as one can manage in between sips of uncomfortably hot coffee, "Grimm learn. They learn from each battle they survive. They learn as they grow bigger, older, and stronger. Our job is to teach them fear. We teach them that what we lack in strength, we make up for in will. That when they kill, we follow them home. That for every life lost, we retaliate."

Clover paused for a moment, tilting her head to one side thoughtfully. "Edgy. I like it."

There was a moment's silence as Maya examined her tray suspiciously.

"...I'm not going to be able to finish all these cookies."

"Well then, you'd better get that brother of yours to help."

With that, the two parted ways, Maya thanking Clover for her generosity as the innkeeper headed off to attend to other matters. Left to her own devices, Maya headed straight for the quietest corner she could find, and was unsurprised to find it already occupied by Flann. Several of the Dust sheaths clipped to his belt shimmered a subtly lighter red than they had before.

Wordlessly, Maya offered him a cookie.

"Clover?" Flann enquired with a knowing smile.

"Clover."

The pair ate in silence for a few minutes, Flann gladly sharing a plateful of anomalous grey goop he'd snagged earlier. Despite appearances, it was somehow managing to both smell and taste absolutely divine. Guessing that her appetite might take a hit if she asked him what it was actually made of, Maya chose not to raise the subject.

"So," Flann said, nodding towards some of the more conspicuous conversations going on in the background, "apparently we just survived a volcano. I thought you didn't do volcanoes?"

Maya shot him an exasperated scowl.

"Not any more, at least," Flann added helpfully.

"Clover," Maya answered pointedly.

"Ah."

Quiet as they were, it wasn't long before the conversation found its way to them. In this case, it took the form of a small group of soldiers making their way into the inn, their leader making a beeline for the corner as soon as he'd spotted the pair. _Mountain Glenn Border Guard, just off patrol duty,_ Maya noted from their uniforms and gear.

"Afternoon," the man began. "Flann and Maya, right? Corporal Leonard, Mountain Glenn Border Guard. A few of us just came off patrol duty, and we were wondering if we could join you."

Sharing a resigned glance with Flann, Maya nodded. He was being courteous enough, at least. "Seeing as you're not a giant black ball of rage, spines, and death, we'll probably live."

Leonard let out a weary chuckle, waving his squadmates over. "Oh, some of the boys might disagree with you on that one."

"Only when you're hungry, Leonard," one of them shouted from across the room, earning a few laughs as the group pulled up chairs and settled around. "The name's Pax, by the way," she continued, not quite as loudly this time. "A couple of us were in the brigadier's squad when we met you out in the forest. That's some sweet weaponry you've got there - bringing back the old school touch, going by the bodies at least."

"It gets the job done, if we can get in close and find vitals," Maya replied with a shrug. "Ceramic's not much use against armour. Death Stalkers are an absolute nightmare."

There was a chorus of agreement from around the table. The name 'Death Stalker' didn't exactly evoke fond memories in most.

"So, have you heard?" one of the other soldiers began. "Vale's recalled all the Huntsmen in the region. Every last one, by the sound of it."

Flann shot Maya a quizzical look, which she answered with a shrug. This was news to them.

"I wasn't aware anyone had the authority to recall Huntsmen," Flann remarked.

"Well, no, but when Vale puts out a call for help, you don't generally turn it down."

"I heard the west of the city's all gone to hell. Looting and burning and everything. Fire service can't even move through the streets."

"Faunus rights anniversary, huh? Didn't think it'd get this bad."

"A lot of people out there aren't happy living next door to Faunus. This'll be full on rioting if they can't get a lid on it soon. Hell, sounds like it already is."

"Really though, shouldn't we be focusing on the Grimm?"

"Grimm don't have guns."

"Point."

There was silence for a few seconds, brought on by a mixture of solemn consideration and mouths full of food.

"Let's just hope we're ready for anything that spreads here." It was Leonard that spoke up this time. The corporal had chosen to remain standing, and was gripping his beard with a dire expression on his face.

"Hey, weren't you complaining about street duty earlier?"

"Shut up Pax. You know this is different." Leonard shook his head, dodging Pax's amused grin. "It's a right disgrace, is what it is. The Faunus Revolution's not something we can just... forget. And if that's not enough for you, six million of us died lifting the boot of oppression back in the Great War. Good soldiers. Good men and women. Every soul alive in the kingdoms is free today because of what we did, and now these punks want us to jam that same boot back down the throats of anyone who happens to be shaped different."

He turned to spit in disgust, then caught sight of Clover and thought better of it. "Politics I can live with," he went on, "but my comrades died giving these bastards a future. If it were up to me, I'd sooner hang them all than give them an inch."

"Easy there Leonard," Pax responded, opting for a sharp elbow to the knee as her comforting gesture of choice, "we may not be vets, but we're all with you. Well, I can't speak for our freelance friends here, but the rest of us at least."

Maya raised an eyebrow, not quite sure how to respond. Eventually, she settled on a question. "That's not a popular viewpoint in the military, is it?"

"No, it's not," Leonard admitted with a grunt.

"Rioters aren't exactly high on our list either," Pax pointed out. "People stand where they stand.

"We had a few Faunus back in our old unit," she went on, a little wistfulness creeping into her expression. "Pulled our arses out of the fire on more than one night mission, I can tell you that. And our old sarge, well - softest, most patient woman I ever knew. Treat any Faunus wrong, though, and she'd have you writing out your sins in blood. I swear she could make it rain brimstone some days. And she wasn't even Faunus herself."

"Can't help but notice the past tense there," Flann remarked.

Pax nodded sadly. "Dishonourable discharge. Happened around when we got transferred here."

"She went and filed formal protest when they decided the Mountain Glenn Border Guard wouldn't include Faunus," explained Leonard. "The brass decided they didn't like that."

"Hold up," Maya cut in, a spark of familiarity invading from memory. "Super short lady. Straight hair, dark purple. Goes by Brinnie. Does this little _flip_ thing with her revolver when she reloads it. Sound like her?"

"Yeah, that's sarge. You know her?"

Maya grinned an impish grin. "Absolutely. Trekked half the continent tracking one Nevermore with her a few years ago. Found at least twelve Death Stalkers along the way. She's one of our best recon people. Quite the fighter, too."

"Going on world saving missions without us, huh? Sounds like she found her calling at least."

"Wait, you guys have a recon division?"

"Not really," answered Flann, "it's more of a-"

He paused as both his and Maya's HUDs flickered to life, the holographic monocles registering the presence of another Blade.

"It's a mission type," Maya continued. "Deep field recon missions take months if you're lucky, years otherwise. People who run recon spend pretty much their entire lives out there. So, we call them recon people."

"Speaking of recon people, and Faunus - we have a rendezvous to make," Flann finished, making ready to leave. "It's been a pleasure. Good luck out there."

"Likewise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me a huge amount of trouble for some reason, but hopefully it turned out reasonably well. Anyway, there's the obligatory main character background and some hints of plot relevant events going on in Remnant.


	5. Chapter 5

Day 1, 12:56 Vale Time  
Mountain Glenn West  
Assignment: Rendezvous

All things considered, it was a lovely day that greeted Flann and Maya as they headed outside. Thin, wispy clouds drifted across a picturesque blue sky, marking an afternoon perfect for any number of outdoor activities - tracking down and killing Grimm, for example. Or perhaps perching on a rooftop, an unremarkable brown silhouette against the scenery, one hand scribbling away on a small pad of paper.

"Good afternoon," the silhouette greeted them calmly as they approached, glancing at them for barely a second before turning back the other way, "it's good to see you two still kicking."

"You too, Jasper," Maya replied with a smile, adjusting her headpiece and squinting through the holographic display. Even at maximum zoom, she could barely make out the details on the guard towers in the distance, let alone hold the image steady. "Enjoying the view?"

Raptor eyes, on the other hand, had little difficulty with a distance of merely two kilometres. Jasper had even taken the trouble to switch his HUD off, preferring to study his targets with natural vision for the moment. It was somewhat ironic, Maya noted, that the bird of prey Faunus that had built their headpieces probably got little use out of them.

"It is a nice day," Jasper acknowledged, looking down to an oversized scroll display sitting beside him. "Good visibility. External systems on three guard towers are visible from this position," he added, "sufficient for a functional assessment."

"Not going for a closer look?" asked Flann.

"There is a heavy Atlas security presence surrounding all tower sites."

Maya scratched her head a little sheepishly. "Right, we might have... heard about that."

Jasper turned to regard them, his expression almost forming a half smile. "You notified Atlas about me, I presume."

"Basic courtesy," Flann answered with a shrug.

The Faunus nodded, turning back to his display. "That was the correct call, if suboptimal. Atlas is, understandably, protective of their state of the art military hardware. I'm not inclined to place additional pressure on their personnel at the moment. Given recent tensions in Atlas, and the situation in Vale, a Faunus near restricted areas could potentially prompt... a lethal response."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "You've never had a problem firing back before," she pointed out.

"I prefer not to waste ammunition," Jasper responded matter-of-factly, continuing, "While a direct inspection would be preferable, log dumps and sensor data from the towers' computer systems provide an adequate substitute. Cross referencing that with external observations gives me all the information I need."

"Wait, hang on a second," Maya interjected. "They decided they didn't want you anywhere near the towers, so instead you're _hacking into the Atlas military command network_ and pulling stuff straight off their computers?"

"Yes."

Maya's eyebrow remained raised.

"That sounds... very illegal," Flann added helpfully.

"It is."

Maya let out a laugh, shaking her head as she worked her way up to join Jasper on the rooftop. Naturally, Flann was already way ahead of her. "I don't know why I'm surprised," she said at last. "I guess we'll just be grateful you're not starting firefights in the city with everything else going on."

"Further violence now would be ill timed," Jasper agreed, "the anti-Faunus riots breaking out here are enough of a draw for the Grimm as it stands."

"They've spread here from Vale _already_?" Maya shook her head some more. This time she wasn't laughing.

"I passed several such groups on the way here," the Faunus confirmed. If the encounters had bothered him, he didn't show it. "I suspect the sentiment has been building here for some time, as it has in Vale. It's likely what prompted the larger Grimm you've encountered to begin testing Mountain Glenn's perimeter. This world has a way of... adding to unpleasant situations."

"You'd think people would have had enough years to sort this out," grumbled Maya. "Are they _trying_ to get themselves killed?"

"Largely, no," Jasper replied, not one to leave rhetorical questions unanswered. "Unfortunately, a majority is not needed to bring catastrophe, and wounds like these heal slowly, if at all. The Faunus War may be over, but the bloodshed will continue. That's just the way it goes."

There was silence for a while.

"You're really depressing sometimes, you know that?"

"Only _sometimes_?" Flann cut in, mock incredulity written all over his face.

"And you're a pain in the rear," Maya shot back, suddenly smiling despite herself. Flann met her retort with a smirk.

"All right," she went on, waving him off, "so, towers. What's the word? How bad are things looking?"

Jasper set his sketchpad aside, tilting his head a little as he turned to face the pair again. "Everything I've been able to observe indicates that the guard towers are operating entirely within normal parameters. It's likely that the towers themselves are functional, and the problem lies elsewhere." Tilting his head back the other way, he added, "Now, whether they're configured optimally is more questionable - but that's a long, largely irrelevant debate."

"So, no answers, but we've still got a few hundred megawatts of Atlas lasers backing us up if the Grimm get too close. Not the worst trade to live with," Maya conceded.

"Roughly 1,051 gigawatts, actually," Jasper corrected, after pausing thoughtfully for several seconds. "However, several hours of sustained fire could theoretically drain the energy stored in their internal capacitors, at which point they'd be forced to scale back to firing output their dedicated generators can sustain - approximately 813 gigawatts total, and still sufficient to ease our jobs significantly."

"Reassuringly large numbers," Flann noted helpfully.

"Functional weapons systems are simultaneously reassuring and concerning, I'd say," replied Jasper. "Faults in the supporting infrastructure may ultimately prove much more difficult to identify and resolve, especially if they extend to the underground hardline links relaying data from the perimeter sensors. Further progress will be heavily dependent on the Atlesian engineering teams assigned to the task."

He turned back towards the towers, his piercing gaze sweeping past them and out to the world beyond. "There's no major Grimm movement yet, but without Huntsman or Huntress support available for the foreseeable future, we're running on borrowed time. The faster targeting can be brought back online, the better our chances of breaking up any massing Grimm preemptively. If they're allowed to gather unimpeded, I doubt we'll be able to prevent heavy casualties."

"Looks like Atlas is having trouble trouble keeping up with you already," remarked Maya.

"They're not far behind." The Faunus' gaze settled for a moment, as if something had caught his eye. "On that note, it appears we're about to confirm each other's results."

Right on cue, a deep, guttural roar rumbled through the streets, sending alarmed birds scattering in every direction. Like dozens of brilliant, fiery beacons, each of the towers powered up in turn, individual red pinpricks of light coalescing together with searing intensity. A high-pitched hum rose in the background, growing more forceful with each passing second.

"So," Maya began, "how much prep time-"

And then the towers _fired_.

A shrill electric hiss joined the cacophony, accompanied by a barrage of deafening cracks as torrent after torrent of blazing red beams lanced out into the distance. The lasers moved together in unison, carving trails of flame, molten rock, and superheated gas as they danced across the terrain. Everything that the beams so much as brushed was incinerated in a matter of moments - groves of colossal trees _exploded_ into vapour, not even having time to burn. For a second, Maya could swear the air around them was growing warmer.

And as abruptly as it had begun, it was over. The beams winked off in a single instant, light and sound fading away as the towers settled back into standby. If not for the gargantuan lattice of molten scars crisscrossing the landscape, they might as well never have fired at all.

There was a faint scattering of applause from bystanders that had gathered to watch the test firing.

"Huh," Maya said finally, "I expected the beams to be more... glowy."

"It's about as expected," Jasper explained, making quick notes on his scroll. "Third generation Atlas laser tech. It's designed to greatly reduce the amount of energy lost in transit, making sure it's all delivered to the point of contact, hence the lower index of glowy."

"Did you just use 'glowy' as a technical term?"

"Yes." Jasper glanced up with another almost-half-smile. "To conclude our earlier discussion, the tower weapons systems do indeed appear to be entirely functional, granted you've probably already deduced that yourselves."

"Us and everyone else within, oh, fifty kilometres," Maya remarked with a smirk.

"And Major Farran," added Flann, one hand on his headpiece controls as he read something off his HUD. "He just forwarded the results from Atlas' engineers - spot on, by the way Jasper. It's a straight match for everything you've come up with, right down to the questionable optimisation. Apparently some of the capacitor readings are further from the spec than they'd like, so they're due for some calibration before any more test firing."

"Major Farran - is he the lead for Atlas' task force?" Jasper enquired.

"He is," Flann confirmed, "assigned here for a grand total of eight days now. They lost their previous commander to a Grimm attack not long ago. The outer perimeter's still a nasty place. Of course, now we know Amber Zone's not that much better, but still."

"He did seem like he knew you," Maya recalled, "or at least thought he did."

Jasper nodded. "We've worked together in the past. He's as tenacious as they come, and three times as brilliant. If he's leading Atlas' work, bringing me here was likely redundant."

"Maybe we should get you two in touch," Maya suggested, smiling a little.

Jasper shook his head - a sharper, quicker gesture than his nod. "Major Farran gladly works alongside humans and Faunus alike. Unfortunately, the same will not be true of all his subordinates. As neither he, nor they can afford distractions right now, it's best if I stay clear. Provided we don't lose him to another Grimm attack, It's only a matter of time before he tracks down the problem - granted time is a limited resource at the moment."

Flann let out a chuckle, adding, "Well, on that note, the major's just signalled he's already moving onto the next step. He's about to lead engineering teams out into Amber Zone to look at the sensor nodes directly, trying to figure out if they're giving the correct readings." He turned to shoot his partner a meaningful glance. "I guess we know how we're spending the rest of our day."

Maya had the grace to try and hold back her mournful expression for a few seconds. "It is a good day for a hunt," she sighed reluctantly.

"If you're heading out, I should get your HUD units patched," Jasper interjected. Before they could respond, the Faunus made a few quick gestures on his scroll, and both Flann's and Maya's monocle HUDs flickered rapidly through a reboot sequence. "Minor update," he continued, "mostly better performance and imaging stability, especially at high zoom levels. I've also added presets to cut out most of the manual tuning when hooking into other comm systems. You should have access to the border guard's radio channels and Atlas comms without needing any fiddling now - I expect that may be useful in the coming days."

"Now," he went on, making notes on his sketchpad, "I should ask: have you been able to make use of the ultrasound scanners?"

"No," Maya answered, a little bemused, "there's too much information in the overlay. It all just comes out as noise."

"So I've heard," Jasper acknowledged with a nod. "I've added a new overlay mode that drops most of the detail and focuses on highlighting bone and armour surfaces. I imagine you'll want to take it for a spin sometime."

"That is..." Maya thought back to how much trouble she'd had getting past Beowolf armour in the woods, then abruptly took a few steps forward and wrapped Jasper in a warm hug. "That's exactly what we needed. Thank you."

"...I'm glad to be of assistance, but please don't do that."

Smirking, Maya set the Faunus back down. With her rather imposing frame, she'd managed to physically lift him into the air. "If you insist, sir."

"And please don't call me that."

"Yessir."

Suppressing a chuckle, Flann cut in, "Time to get going, I think. Thanks for your help."

"Not a problem," Jasper replied, dusting himself off a little. "I'll be around, keeping tabs on any Grimm buildup in the area. Send out a shortwave if there's anything I can do to help."

"We'll do that," Maya promised, adding, "Oh, and you should reconsider getting in touch with the Atlas task force. I understand why you're worried, but there are a lot of good soldiers working here. Don't underestimate them - or yourself, for that matter."

Jasper didn't respond for several seconds. "I'll keep that in mind," he said eventually. "For now... send Major Farran my regards. And inform him that he may want to consider a closer look at those capacitor readings - I have a hunch there may be more than just calibration involved."

"You got it, sir."

"And stop calling me that."

"Yessir."

Sighing, Jasper turned back to his scroll, leaving the pair to make their way back down to street level. As they began to head out towards the perimeter, one last thought occurred to Maya.

"Hey, Jasper," she called out, "aren't Atlas comms encrypted?"

The Faunus looked up for a second. If he'd been the type to smirk, there would have been one on his face right then.

"Not very well."

* * *

Acrid smoke greeted the brigadier's patrol as they moved up the street, bystanders hurriedly ducking out of their way. A few spared a moment to treat the soldiers to hostile glares. Ignoring them, the brigadier forged ahead, only coming to a halt upon reaching the source of the smoke: a modest, three story office lot that would have been completely unremarkable if it wasn't engulfed in flames.

With barely a word and a handful of gestures, the patrol fanned out, moving to cordon off nearby streets and join the soldiers already attempting to battle the blaze - an effort largely constrained to stamping out stray bits of burning debris and trying to stop the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. Following the chain of shouted orders back to its source, the brigadier marched over to the man calling the shots: a battered looking corporal who'd done his best to set up shop next to what remained of the offices' signage.

The lone sign looked rather forlorn, having recently been trampled to the ground. _Faunus Rights Advocacy Centre - Welcome_ , it read.

"Corporal!" the brigadier barked, prompting the man to whip around and snap off an unsteady salute. "What the devil is going on here?"

"Brigadier Port, sir! Sorry sir, I... we... there's a fire, sir," the corporal began, his words no steadier than his salute. "I mean... sorry. We couldn't hold the riot line, sir. They broke through and it just turned into a complete mess, set the building alight before we could... sorry sir, I-"

"Corporal," the brigadier cut him off sharply.

"Yessir."

"Don't apologise. Explain."

"Yessir." The corporal took a moment to compose himself, coughing up a little soot in the process. "A bunch of anti-Faunus protesters gathered here a few hours ago, sir," he began, gesturing to his right. Littering the ground around them were scores of abandoned protest signs, painted with various slogans in block letters. If it weren't for the raging inferno, they could probably have been described as obnoxiously bright. _PEOPLE BEFORE ANIMALS_ seemed to feature on at least half of them.

"Roughly 1100 hours by my estimate," the man continued. "Started out peaceful enough, but the crowd grew and some of them became... agitated. When it started getting physical, we tried to form a riot line and hold them back. Single patrol's not enough for a proper line, though. We had a few breaches, and people in the crowd started throwing some kind of firebomb. The building was alight before we even had time to regroup. I think we managed to evacuate everyone inside, but... there's no way we can be sure."

He frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then added, "I've got no clue who started this, sir. Crowd dispersed pretty quickly once the fire started. Feels like this isn't what most of them had in mind."

"And you didn't attempt to break up the crowd earlier, corporal?" the brigadier inquired sternly.

"No sir. We're all equipped for Grimm, heavy weapons with Dust and shredder ammunition only. No way we could open fire."

"I thought I explicitly gave orders for all street patrols to be equipped with non-lethals."

The corporal paled. "Yes sir, but we were already on patrol by the time the order came through. I... I made the call to continue with our current loadout instead of leaving the zone unpatrolled. I'm sorry sir, any responsibility for-"

The brigadier cut the man off with a wave of his hand. "Corporal. You did all right. Now, get your patrol back to base, and get your gear sorted out. We'll take it from here."

"Yessir. Thank you sir." The corporal scurried off, visibly relieved, leaving the brigadier to survey the scene on his own. Despite their best efforts, the fire showed no sign of abating.

"Lieutenant!" he barked, beckoning to one of his officers.

"Sir, yes sir!" came the response, the man signalling another soldier to take his place in the bucket line before hurrying over.

"Lieutenant, what is the benchmark response time for emergency services in Mountain Glenn South?"

"Twelve minutes, sir!" the lieutenant supplied without hesitation.

"And how long has this building been burning?"

"...approximately twenty five minutes. Sir."

There was a pause as both men noted the conspicuous lack of emergency vehicles in the surrounding streets.

"...I'll get on the radio."

"Good man."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hey, stuff is happening. The introductory warm up chapters have taken longer than I've anticipated, but hopefully they've provided some decent background for those interested.
> 
> Thanks to those that have taken the time to leave comments. ^^


End file.
